This easy recipe yields a dozen of the softest, fluffiest, most deliciously buttery blueberry muffins. Topped with a crunchy cinnamon brown sugar streusel, these rival any bakery muffin, but come together quickly in your own kitchen. They’re prepared with simple ingredients, so you can be biting into a fresh, warm blueberry muffin in under an hour.
I originally published this recipe in 2014 and have since added new photos and helpful success tips.
Muffins are a perennial favorite because they’re quick and easy to make and the flavors are endless (just like scones). Everyone appreciates a fresh batch of muffins and, best of all, muffins double as breakfast and snack. (Or in the case of double chocolate muffins… dessert!)
But when it comes to muffin varieties, blueberry muffins hold the crown. Nothing compares to the classic blueberry muffin, and today I’m showing you exactly how to prepare my very best version.
This is my family’s favorite blueberry muffins recipe, and going by the hundreds of 5-star reviews it’s received, it’s a family favorite for many other home bakers, too!
One reader, Jes, commented: “Best blueberry muffins I have ever had—no bakery or store or restaurant that I’ve ever visited has ever produced a blueberry muffin that could compare to this. ★★★★★“
Another reader, Sara, commented: “Best blueberry muffins I have ever had in my 80 years! ★★★★★”
And another reader, Kathy, commented: “This truly is my favorite blueberry muffin recipe. You just can’t go wrong with it. Everyone loves the streusel topping. ★★★★★“
Why Are These Our Favorite Blueberry Muffins?
They’re a texture lover’s dream with a buttery soft crumb, juicy blueberries, and a sweet crunch on top. They’re not as large and dense as my jumbo blueberry muffins and have a little more flavor from the brown sugar and butter.
These muffins stand out from the rest because they’re:
- Buttery and moist
- Soft and cakey, not dense
- Easy to prepare
- Made with EXTRA blueberries (and you can use fresh or frozen)
- Topped with an easy 3-ingredient sweet streusel
Since I first developed this blueberry muffin recipe, I’ve baked dozens of variations—swapping blueberries for apples, peaches, and other fruits. In fact, this blueberry muffin recipe quickly turned into my go-to base muffin recipe, a batter you can turn into infinite muffin flavors. I also have the recipe in my newest cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101.
How to Make the Best Blueberry Muffins
There are no secret ingredients or complicated steps in this blueberry muffin recipe. You only need a few bowls and a mixer… and a muffin pan, of course!
- Whisk the dry ingredients: Flour, leaveners, and salt.
- Mix the wet ingredients: Butter, sugars, eggs, sour cream, and vanilla.
- Combine wet & dry, then add milk: You can use any type of milk, dairy or nondairy, or even buttermilk (see Notes).
- Spoon into muffin pan: Fill those liners all the way to the top!
- Add streusel topping: Just brown sugar, cinnamon, and chopped walnuts. See below for suggested alternatives.
- Bake!
That’s it! The sour cream is the magical ingredient because it adds so much moisture and produces the softest blueberry muffins ever. If you don’t have sour cream, you can use yogurt like we do in lemon blueberry muffins. Or you can use buttermilk to replace both the milk and the sour cream.
How to Create the Perfect Tall Muffin Tops
For tall bakery-style domed muffin tops, there are 3 directions to follow closely:
- Make sure your muffin batter is THICK. (This one is!)
- Fill your muffin tins/liners all the way to the top.
- Bake the muffins for 5 minutes at a high temperature, and then lower the temperature while keeping the oven door closed. This initial high oven temperature quickly lifts up the muffin top. Once the temperature is reduced, the centers of the muffins bake. I recommend this in nearly all of my muffin recipes. (These crumb cake muffins are an exception to the rule!)
Have I mentioned what a treat these are with a swipe of homemade honey butter, too? Cinnamon butter is also an amazing pairing with these muffins!
It depends on the recipe. My team and I wouldn’t consider these healthy blueberry muffins because they’re made with butter, flour, and sugar. However, they’re homemade and you know exactly what’s in them, vs. something store-bought. If you are looking for a healthier alternative, you’ll appreciate these blueberry banana muffins, bran muffins, or applesauce muffins.
Absolutely. You can simply omit the nuts, or swap the streusel here for the crumb topping from this recipe for peach streusel muffins. Or skip the streusel topping entirely, and just top the muffins with some coarse sparkling sugar for a sweet crunch that’s also pretty!
Yes! If using frozen blueberries, do not thaw them before adding to the batter.
You can toss the blueberries with a Tablespoon of flour before you add them to the batter, but it’s not really necessary here because the muffin batter is so thick.
How to Freeze Blueberry Muffins
You can freeze the muffins for up to 3 months. Cool completely and then place the muffins in a freezer-friendly container or bag. When ready to eat, thaw in the refrigerator (overnight) or at room temperature on the counter. To warm up, microwave the thawed muffins for about 20 seconds or bake at 300°F (149°C) for 6–10 minutes.
Blueberry Muffin Variations
- Blueberry Muffin Cookies
- Blueberry Muffin Bread
- Lemon Blueberry Muffins
- Sparkling Jumbo Blueberry Muffins
- Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins
- Blueberry Almond Power Muffins
- Healthy Blueberry Banana Muffins
Favorite Breakfast Recipes
- Breakfast Casserole (so easy!)
- Homemade Bagels & Homemade English Muffins
- Perfect Homemade Quiche
- Cinnamon Rolls
- Scones Recipe
My Best Blueberry Muffins
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 12 muffins
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These blueberry muffins are buttery, soft, and moist. For that bakery-style goodness, add an easy cinnamon brown sugar topping. This thick muffin batter combined with my initial high oven temperature trick guarantees tall muffin tops. Prepared with basic ingredients and a couple mixing bowls, you’ll appreciate this easy breakfast recipe.
Ingredients
Topping
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (67g) chopped walnuts (or pecans)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Muffins
- 1 and 3/4 cups (219g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (50g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120g) sour cream or plain/vanilla yogurt, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup (60ml) milk, at room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 cups (210g) fresh or frozen blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C). Spray a 12-count muffin pan with nonstick spray or use muffin liners. Set aside.
- For the topping: Mix all of the topping ingredients together. Set aside.
- For the muffins: Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on how to cream butter and sugar.) On medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the sour cream and vanilla extract on medium speed until combined. With the mixer running on low speed, add the dry ingredients and milk into the wet ingredients and beat until combined. Batter is thick and creamy. Fold in the blueberries.
- Spoon the batter into liners, filling them all the way to the top. Spoon brown sugar topping on each, gently pressing it down into the surface so it sticks. Bake for 5 minutes at 425 then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C). Bake for an additional 18–20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The total time these muffins take in the oven is about 23–25 minutes, give or take. Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the muffin pan, then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling.
- Muffins stay fresh covered at room temperature for a few days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Freeze baked & cooled muffins for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature before enjoying.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 12-count Muffin Pan | Muffin Liners | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Cooling Rack
- Sour Cream: Sour cream adds so much moisture. Plain yogurt is a great substitute—I recommend plain Greek yogurt, any fat content. Unsweetened applesauce or mashed banana may also be used.
- Milk: You can use any milk, dairy or nondairy. I recommend avoiding nonfat milk, however.
- Can I Use Buttermilk? Yes, you can use buttermilk in this recipe. Use it to replace BOTH the sour cream and milk. Use 3/4 cup (180ml).
- Blueberries: If using frozen blueberries, do not thaw.
- Can I Make the Streusel Without Nuts? Yes! You can simply omit the nuts, or swap the streusel here for the crumb topping from this recipe for peach streusel muffins. Or skip the streusel topping entirely, and just top the muffins with some coarse sparkling sugar for a sweet crunch that’s also pretty!
- Why the initial high oven temperature? As instructed, bake the muffins for 5 minutes at an initial high temperature, then lower it. This initial high oven temperature quickly lifts up and sets the tall muffin top. Once the temperature is lowered, the centers of the muffins bake. I do this in all my muffin recipes including zucchini muffins, lemon poppy seed muffins, and banana muffins, too.
- Jumbo & Mini Muffins: For a jumbo muffin pan: 425°F for 5 minutes, then reduce to 350°F for 22–25 minutes for a total of 27–30 minutes. Makes about 6. For mini muffins: 350°F (whole time) for 12–14 minutes. Makes about 36–40.
- Quick Bread: Here is my blueberry muffin bread, which is essentially the same recipe in a loaf pan.
- Why is everything at room temperature? All refrigerated ingredients should be at room temperature so the batter mixes together easily and evenly.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Okay wow! Truly the best blueberry muffins ever! The crumb topping on top compliment the soft and moist texture of the muffin itself. These are so, so good!!
Can I replace the sugar in this recipe with maple syrup?
Hi Stephanie, this recipe was developed to use a combination of white and brown sugars, and changing to a liquid sweetener like maple syrup would require some recipe testing and tweaking of the other ingredients. For a blueberry muffin that uses a liquid sweetener, we recommend trying these blueberry oatmeal muffins instead; they call for honey, but you could use maple syrup in its place. Let us know what you try!
Sound delicious do you think gf flour could be used in this recipe? Thank you
Hi Peggy, we haven’t tested these with gluten-free flour, but several readers have commented that they have had success with it. Let us know how the muffins turn out for you!
These were delicious! I replaced the butter, milk, yogurt, and eggs with vegan alternatives, and they turned out beautifully.
I loved the taste of these muffins and the ease of the recipe. I used 3/4 cup butter milk in place of the sour cream and the milk as the recipe suggested the muffins came out similar to the pictures, however I tried to bake some in wafer ice cream cones which in the end worked out, but during the baking, the batter spilled out. Do you think the temperature is too high at 425 for ice cream cone baking?
I made these this morning with some cranberries i needed to use up and some frozen blueberries. It turned out sooo good! Absolutely love all of the recipes I have tried from your website so far!
Hi Melissa, Just wanted to reply to your message, saying I also have loved each recipe I tried from Sally’s.
Great recipe! Made 12 regular and 24 mini muffins
Damn. These muffins are so good! I’m a pastry chef and don’t usually like to take random recipes from the internet but I am so glad I took a chance on this one, they might be the best blueberry muffin recipe I’ve tried. I even made them with a lot of substitutions for allergies and they still turned out perfectly: Bob’s 1:1 Gluten Free flour, maple sugar and maple syrup in place of the white and brown sugars, respectively, plus Kite Hill almond milk yogurt and oat milk. Will be a keeper recipe for life.
I made the jumbo muffins this morning and they came out awesome! Thanks so much for the recipe.
I made these for xmas morning and the whole family raved about them. They are honestly amazing muffins. I made a 1/2 batch and it made 7 muffins.
This is my favorite muffin recipe! Made it just this morning for our Christmas breakfast.
I forgot the milk (toddlers make baking an adventure!) but they were still delicious!!
Oh my gosh so did I, just rummaged through the comments to check if they would still turn out good. So glad I’m not the only one that forgot!
What a great blueberry muffin! My favorite of all time
Followed it, no changes and admit I think they are my best muffins yet.
Best Blueberry Muffin Recipe I’ve tried! Moist & flavorful plus quick & easy… what more could you ask for? Thank you for sharing!
Excellent recipe. Thank you. I used gluten free flour and vanilla yogurt.
Delicious. I’ve made these 3 weeks in a row, and they just keep getting better. No need to alter this recipe at all. Perfect as is.
This looks delicious! Can this batter be used as a loaf cake?
Here’s our blueberry muffin bread!
Just made these for the second time. Love the recipe. I made the Jumbo muffins. They came out great. I also made the Apple Cinnamon muffins and they were a big hit. I’ll be moving on to your cookie recipes next. ’tis the season!!
I don’t normally leave reviews but this deserved one. Excellent recipe
I was wondering if I can make this with chocolate chips instead of blueberries. I wanted a brown sugar chocolate chip muffin recipe.
Hi Zee, absolutely. Or, here is our bakery-style chocolate chip muffin recipe (you could make it in a standard-sized muffin tin as well).
I wanted the brown sugar base, nit granulated sugar.
These are amazing! Fresh blueberries are key for sure!
This is probably the best muffin recipe I have found. The recipe is straight forward and quick. They turned out perfect…they rose beautifully and we not too sweet which is sometimes my complain about muffins. I did go heavy on the blueberries and so they are a little ‘moister’ than they are supposed to be, but I did that on purpose!). I omitted the topping because I don’t like nuts anywhere near my baked goods and I didn’t miss it. This base recipe would work great with nearly any fruit. Thank you for this!
These were EXCELLENT!!! Super delish!!!
Hi! Can i use canned blueberries for this recipe? It’s hard to get fresh or frozen ones in our country..
Hi Julie, that should work, just be sure to drain well and pat dry before adding to the batter. Enjoy!
My go to recipe for blueberry muffins—so delicious!
These are pretty much the best blueberry muffins I have ever tasted let alone made. I used Greek yogurt. Will make over and over again!
Brilliant recipe. Love the versatility. However, mine had a little dome when they came out of my oven but they soon flattened out. Could u have gone too hard on the froze blueberries? It was the end if a bag so threw a few (quite a few) extras in.
I didn’t add the sour cream and just added more butter and milk! They turned out great! Everyone at my work loved them and not to sweet. I used frozen blueberries, they died them a strange blue (will use fresh next time). Also needed more bake time since frozen I think!
Crumble topping! I took your hint to make the crumble found in your blueberry muffin bread recipe. I used part almond flour for taste then popped it in the freezer until needed to harden the butter so it would be crumblier. Baked in muffin top pan. The yield was 5, they are full and plump. Delicious!